Shadows of the Past
by Joe Ford
Summary: Fenton Hardy has kept a secret from his family for over thirty-five years. Now, it's coming back to haunt him in the form of the world's most psychotic terrorist. It's not a question of whether the Hardys will escape this madman, but will they survive?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**_Southeast, Washington, DC_**

**_April 1973_**

FENTON HARDY HAD BEEN considering this for a long time. He had joined the top secret American intelligence agency known only as the Network when he was twenty. Back then he had been looking for adventure and excitement. And he had been single.

Now, however, things were different. He had a wife and new two story house they just bought in the small town of Bayport, New York. He had responsibilities. He was starting a family.

And this life had to end.

He walked into the office of his superior, the Assistant Director of the Network, a balding man who had to be at least eighty. Rumor was that he had been a kingpin in World War I military intelligence. That was over fifty years ago. Jesus.

"I want out," Hardy bluntly stated.

The Assistant Director looked up from the stack of papers he was thumbing through. "What?" He asked with a Southern drawl.

"I want out. I can't stay in the Network any longer. I've got a wife now and kids can't be too far off. I'm twenty-five, sir. I have my whole life ahead of me. I want to make it a peaceful one."

The old man shook his head. "You're a damn good agent, Hardy."

"Thank you, sir."

He seemed hesitant. "You sure about this?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I guess there's nothing more to discuss. You are hereby released from the employment of the Network and forevermore obligated to tell no civilian of our existence. Do you understand?"

A huge smile came across Hardy's tanned face. "Yes, sir."

"Pick up the official papers tomorrow and go clean out your desk. Good luck, Hardy. You've got one hell of a beautiful wife. Make her happy."

Hardy began to feel embarrassed. "I will, sir."

And that was that. Fenton Hardy's spying days were over.


	2. Chapter One

_**I want to thank everybody who reviewed the Prologue. Here's Chapter One. I'll try to upload a new chapter each day or every other day.**_

* * *

**Part I**

**_Bayport, Long Island, New York_**

**_April 2008_**

**Chapter One**

LIFE WAS GOOD for Fenton Hardy. He was pushing sixty this year, but could careless. He had it all: a loving family, good friends and successful business. What more could a guy ask for?

His detective agency had been doing very well over the last few years. Clients had increased, as well as profits. Now he was making almost six figures. At one time, he would have laughed if someone told him he'd ever achieve that level of financial security.

His oldest son, Frank, who resembled him with dark brown hair and eyes, was going to Bayport University in the fall. Joe, his other son, who was a year younger than Frank with blond hair and blue eyes, would be a senior soon. And his wife, Laura, had recently quit her part time job as a librarian to take some well deserved relaxing time.

_Ah, yes. Life is grand_, he thought as he reclined in the button tucked leather chair in his study.

And then the phone began to ring on his massive mahogany desk. It would be the call that shattered his comfortable life forever.

The call that would bring unspeakable terror to his family.

**ooooo**

Frank Hardy couldn't wait for next Friday. This was it. The last day of high school. The beginning of a new chapter in his life. It was exciting, but at the same time scary. Today, though, all those thoughts of what the future might hold had been pushed aside. Now, he was sad. Heartbroken, actually.

As he walked down the tree shaded sidewalks of Bayport, he tried to think of something, _anything_ he could do to fix his problem. But deep down he knew that there was no way.

Just then, Joe ran up to him. "Hey, big brother!" He shouted.

Frank stopped and turned around to see the seventeen year old. "What's up, Joe?"

"Nothing much. Only that next week Summer Vacation begins." Joe was grinning from ear to ear.

Frank wasn't enthusiastic about it. "Yeah," he mumbled.

Joe frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah. It's just that—well—you see..."

"Spit it out, Frank."

"Callie," Frank was referring to his longtime girlfriend, Callie Shaw. "She's not coming to Bayport University. I just found out today."

Part of Joe felt remorse for Frank, and the other wanted to jump for joy. He and Callie were always arguing and, though neither would admit it, trying to get a greater share of Frank's attention. "Gee, that's tough. Where's she going?"

"She got accepted to some college in England. Her mind's made up about it. She leaves this June."

_Yes!_ Joe thought. "Gee, that's too bad."

Frank shot Joe an angry look. "Oh, yes, I'm sure it is for you. Tell the truth, Joe. You want to celebrate."

_Damn right!_ "No, Frank, of course not."

"Yeah, sure," was the response. "Why don't you go get a piece of pizza with the guys down at the Mall. I want to be alone."

Joe nodded. He felt bad that Frank was able to tell that he really was glad Callie was going away, and thought it would be better for both of them if he left. "Alright, big brother. Whatever you say."

With that, Joe cut across an empty street, through a small park and down towards the bus stop. The Mall was on the edge of town. Not exactly walking distance.

Frank, however, continued to walk towards their house, lost in his own thoughts.

**ooooo**

He watched from the front seat of the old Ford Windstar parked on the street opposite the Hardy household. He held a pair of binoculars to his icy blue eyes and carefully followed the teen walking up to the front door. He had dark hair, eyes and bronze skin. It must be Frank.

He scribbled a few notes on a legal pad. When he looked back outside, Frank had already entered the house. He would wait for the other one, Joseph.

Then Phase One would begin.

Fenton Hardy would pay.


	3. Chapter Two

**_Here's Chapter Two. Reviews are welcome and encouraged._**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

FRANK SAW his father hastily packing up an old suitcase upon entering his parents' bedroom. Mr. Hardy looked scared, which was extremely rare. Usually if his father was afraid of something, Frank knew he wouldn't show it. This must have been bad. Really bad.

"I need to leave for Washington," Hardy said as he took a pair of shoes out of his closet. "Immediately."

"Why?" Frank asked.

"Confidential. Your mother's out at Path Mark," Hardy was referring to the local grocery store, "when she gets home, tell her what I just told you."

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Nothing," Hardy said. His tone gave him away. A toddler could have told that he was lying. "That man you spoke with at Iola's funeral; Mr. Gray. You remember him?"

Frank nodded. Iola Morton had been Joe's girlfriend. She was killed in a car bomb meant for the Hardy brothers almost a year ago. Frank and Joe eventually found the man responsible; an elusive terrorist who worked for one of the most dangerous crime groups in the world: The Assassins. The Assassins had been trying to get to their father, who was organizing then Senator Phillip Walker's presidential campaign. Joe had never completely recovered from the incident and would get emotional whenever somebody brought it up. "Yes."

"He'll be by later. He's gonna spend the night with you all. Just as a precaution."

"A precaution for what? Dad, what's going on?" Frank was raising his voice. Something he didn't usually do to his parents.

"Nothing!" Hardy shouted. "Just relax."

"Bull! Dad, tell me what's wrong! If the Network is involved, then something major is going on."

Hardy took a deep breath. "Alright. There's some people that I busted years ago. Before you were born. I thought they were all dead. Hell, the whole world did. But they're alive and might be coming back to get even with me."

"Get even for what?"

"I've got no time to explain. Just lock the doors and call your brother. Tell him to get home. It might not be safe for him on the streets."

Frank was trying to understand what exactly it was that was going on. But he didn't want to waste anymore valuable time with questions. He knew that they'd be answered soon enough one way or the other. "Alright. What about Mom? And Aunt Gertrude?"

"Your mother knows how to defend herself. Trust me, I've seen her. Gertrude is up with her friends in the Adirondacks. She should be okay, but the Network are sending a car up to get her anyway. Joe, on the other hand, I'm worried about. He's got a temper. And it never fails to get him into deep shit."

Frank knew that his father was one hundred percent right. Joe's temper had nearly blown their cases on several occasions.

Hardy continued, "My flight leaves JFK in an hour. I've got to get going."

**ooooo**

"Who do you think is hotter? Natalie Portman or Jessica Alba?" Biff Hooper asked the three teens seated at his table in the Mr. Pizza restaurant in the Bayport Mall.

"That's a tough one," Phil Cohen said as he unwrapped a piping hot stromboli.

"That it is," Joe seconded. He was about to give his answer when his cell phone rung. He took it out of his jacket pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"_Joe!" _It was Frank_. "Come home now!"_

"Why? What's going on?"

"_It's an emergency. Just get home! And be careful. Make sure no one follows you."_

"Why would anybody do that? What kind of emergency?"

Frank hung up.

Confused and nervous, Joe put the cell phone back in his pocket. "I've got to go. Frank said there's an emergency at my house."

Biff, Phil and Chet Morton suddenly became alert.

"We'll come," Chet said. "I hope your family's okay."

"No, stay here. I don't know what's going on."

"Hell no! If something's wrong with the Hardys, then something's wrong with me," Biff said. "Let's go, guys. We'll take my car."

Everybody hurried out of the restaurant.


	4. Chapter Three

**_Here's the next chapter. Reviews are welcomed and encouraged._**

**_As most of you have noticed, I changed the title of the story from _Absolute Revenge_ to_ Shadows of the Past_. I think the new title fits the story better and sounds classier. I hope everybody else thinks so as well. Chapter Four should be up by tomorrow or Thursday. Thanks for reading and for the reviews. _**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

HE WATCHED FENTON HARDY shut the front door behind him and walk down a short stone path to the driveway.

He smiled as the private detective put his luggage in the backseat of his old Lincoln Town Car and got in the front.

A few seconds later, Hardy was gone.

He couldn't help but laugh. Laugh at how stupid the man that had nearly killed him so many years ago had been. Who would leave their wife and children home alone with a killer on the loose? The ironic part was that Hardy thought he was _protecting_ them by doing this.

_The Network were fools to tell him that his family would be safer without him around,_ the man in the Windstar thought. _That incompetent Gray actually thought that I would leave the people Fenton Hardy loves most alone and come after him instead? Ha! That would be far too easy. No, I'm going to get that bastard Hardy emotionally. That would be far more painful than killing him._

**ooooo**

Biff's Toyota 4Runner sped through the quiet streets of downtown, headed into the residential section of Bayport.

Joe saw the area that had not too long ago been the scene of one of Long Island's worst riots in history—when the insane cult leader who called himself the 'Rajah' attempted to rob the Strand Bank, which now zoomed by in a blur. It had been one of the hardest and most emotionally charged cases in the Hardy brothers' careers, as the cultist had captured and brainwashed a good friend of Frank's, Holly Strand, who was now mentally recuperating with her father in Europe.

A few minutes later, they parked in front of the Hardy house. All four got out and walked up to the front door, where Phil rang the bell.

"What are you guys doing here?" Frank asked in an annoyed tone upon answering.

"I tried to stop them," Joe replied, "but they insisted on coming once they learned that there was an emergency here." Joe looked over Frank's shoulder into the downstairs hallway. Everything seemed okay. "So what's wrong?"

Frank responded, "Guys, stay out here for a minute. I need to speak with Joe in private."

Joe walked inside the house and Frank slammed the door in Biff, Phil and Chet's faces.

"Some way to treat the guests," Biff mumbled.

"I know," Chet replied, "this is weird. Frank's usually not like this."

"Whatever the problem is," Phil interjected, "it must be really serious. Frank never gets _that_ pissed off."

Before anybody else could speak, the door flew open. "You all can come inside," Frank said.

As the three walked in, Chet asked, "So, Frank, what's going on?"

"Did anybody follow you guys here?"

"What?"

"You heard me," Frank stated curtly.

"What's with the attitude?" Phil asked. "We're your friends, remember? The only people you can trust. So tell us what's up."

Frank sighed and told them what his father had told him; what he had told Joe seconds before.

"So, who are these guys?" Chet asked.

"My father didn't say."

"Sounds like they really have a beef with your dad if he arrested them before you were born and they're coming back to get him now," Biff said.

"You're not kidding," Frank replied. "God only knows what they might be planning to do. You guys can stay here until the federal agent comes." He didn't want to give away the identity of the Gray Man or hint that the Network existed.

"Sounds cool to me," Biff said. "Don't worry, Frank. If any psychos come around, I'll take them."

Everybody laughed.

"Really?" Phil asked, "With what? Your fists?"

Another round of laughter. Nobody had any idea that they were being watched at that moment by the very danger they were making fun of.


End file.
